All 397 U.S. national parks will offer free entrance on Saturday, Sept. 29, for National Public Lands Day. Many federal public lands also will offer fee-free entrance on that day. The 19th annual event encourages everyone to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors.

“National Public Lands Day reminds all of us of the vast and diverse nature of America’s open spaces, from small neighborhood parks to large national parks, and the importance of each one,” said National Park Service director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “We are fortunate that more than 600 million acres of public land, including national parks, provide all of us with cherished places where we can go to unwind, recreate, or learn.”

Many people will lend a hand to the land and spend part of National Public Lands Day volunteering on work projects. More than 170,000 people are expected to plant trees, clean watersheds, remove invasive plants, replace signs, and otherwise beautify 2,000 public sites throughout the country. Visit www.publiclandsday.org for more information.

Some of the national parks hosting volunteer events are Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio, Fort Pulaski National Monument in Georgia, San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, and Prince William Forest Park in Virginia. Anyone who volunteers for a National Park Service work project will receive a coupon good for future entrance to a national park.

Other Federal agencies offering free admittance on Sept. 29 include the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, and the U.S. Forest Service.

Normally, 133 national parks charge entrance fees ranging from $3 to $25. The other 264 parks do not charge for admission.

The National Park Service will also waive entrance fees from Nov. 10 to 12 in commemoration of Veterans Day.